Trail Blazers eliminate Rockets in 6 games: Reader reaction

After the Trail Blazers defeated the Rockets 99-98 Friday night on Damian Lillard's buzzer-beating three-pointer, readers shared their thoughts in the comments section of stories on OregonLive.com. Here is a selection of some of the best:

I was around for the legendary 77 season but this was pretty wonderful. Wow... just wow! What a way to end an amazing series.

steele2nealThanks
for another great article, Jason. My dad took me to the games back
when the team was so bad that one of the few things we had to cheer for
was LaRue Martin or Charlie Yelverton being given a chance to play. And
we still loved them. Have seen a lot of big shots over the
years...it's hard to rank them because they're each so tied to a
different emotion and time. Hollins' and Luke's game-winners were
essential to the Championship season; Roy's take-over of Game 4 vs.
Dallas when his knees were clearly almost gone, also huge for different
reasons. After so many years of futility (starting with the collapse of
the Walton-led team), all the bad-mouthing in this series by Beverley,
Parsons and the Houston press, the one-sided, near give-away calls (and
non-calls) by officials in crunch time, the loss of Jack Ramsay, and
with a team that plays a style of ball Dr. Jack could only smile down
upon, Dame's shot last night had extra significance. It wasn't just a
series-ending buzzer-beater: it felt like redemption, both for the
franchise and the city. Heart, character, playing for one another:
that's what we've been
wanting for a long time. Lillard's shot last night was more than a
series-clincher; it was vindication for Dr. Jack's vision. He would
have loved coaching Lillard.

I've
followed the Blazers since their first season. With no disrespect to
all of the great Blazer moments to date, I think Lillard's shot last
night is the greatest single play in the team's history. Primarily due
to the fact that the team has been so disappointing, for so long. After
2000, we had the Jail Blazers debacle and thousands of empty seats in
the Rose Garden. Then Brandon Roy and others began the team's long road
back to respect on and off the court. Unfortunately, his knees weren't
up to the task. Then this season, you could feel Stotts and the team
channeling the spirit of Dr. Jack and "Rip City"; the way the team
gelled over the season; Dame's back to back game winners in the fall;
20+ win improvement over last season. They've just felt special all
season long. I remember thinking, before Nic inbounded the ball, "Get it
to Dame, and we've got a chance for a three."

I saw
them win it all in '77. I saw every minute of the two subsequent Finals
runs. I was at the 20 point, 4th quarter comeback against Dallas in the
playoffs. After all this city's been through with its basketball team,
Lillard's shot tops them all.

This
series had become so nerve wracking nail biting exciting to watch the
only way I could do it for the last few games was to go to the gym and
lift weights or do the stair-master or jog on the treadmill as the Trail
Blazers played on the big screen. Well last night it was more of the
same and as everyone in the gym had kind of stopped their routine and
gazed up at the screens, I felt it was probably back to Houston after
they made that rebound and lay-up, but during the time-out I noticed the
Beastie Boys song "Sure Shot" started up on the gym radio and I took
that as a positive omen, and just moments later Nicholas makes the
perfect pass to Damian and Damian makes that perfect shot and everyone
in the gym burst out in excitement and joy, strangers were hi-fiving,
everyone was smiling and saying how amazing it was, it was a glorious
scene. Thank you Trail Blazers, i'm still giddy the next morning, let's
keep on rolling! Go Blazers!

bigskyconfNice
to have some time for the team and the city to savor this, because the
next series will be more intense. Interesting subplots regardless of
who we play the next series, whether it be San Antonio (Patty Mills,
Tony Parker/Nic Batum French connection, Tim Duncan being Aldridge's
idol) or Dallas (Kaleb Canales, Rick Carlisle/Terry Stotts connection,
Aldridge's hometown). I like the motto from early in the season, "Time
to get greedy".

I've
never experienced so much sustained elation in my life. My friends and I
were jumping, laughing, hugging, crying for at least 3 minutes after
that shot.

This is by far the most special, emotional,
and satisfying moment in my Blazer lifetime. Thank you team, thanks
Stotts, thanks fans. I cried...when I try to contemplate the gravity of
Dame's shot and how much it means to our fandom, our franchise, our
history; I cry. It's just too heavy to not get teary-eyed. I am so
happy for every Blazer fan that has suffered.